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Description:
Plants 200–500 mm high, with cataphylls purple, usually mottled white. Corm depressed-globose, 12–17 mm diam., with large cormlets on slender white stolons; tunics softly papery or rarely somewhat fibrous. Stem usually erect below, sometimes inclined, flexed outward above sheathing part of each cauline leaf, simple or 2- or 3-branched. Leaves 7 to 9, lower 4 or 5 basal, reaching to base of spike or sometimes much longer, linear, 1.7–3 mm wide, thickened toward the midline, margins hyaline but not thickened, cualine leaves progressively smaller, uppermost not or barely clasping stem. Spike lightly inclined, barely flexuose, 4–7-flowered; bracts pale green flushed greyish purple, outer 25–35(–40) mm long, inner shorter, obtuse or minutely notched apically. Flowers white flushed pink or pale pink, lower 3 tepals pale greenish yellow below edged with a narrow pink or purple line, entire flower and especially nectar guides turning pink with age, unscented; perianth tube obliquely funnel-shaped, curving outward near apex of slender part, 16–18 mm long, emerging between bracts; tepals lanceolate-attenuate, upper laterals longest, 25–28 × 12–13.5 mm, directed forward below and twisted to lie over dorsal, curving outward distally, dorsal hooded over stamens, 20–24 × ± 13 mm, lower 3 tepals united below for 3–5 mm, lower laterals linear, 15–19 × 3–5 mm, narrowly clawed below for ± 2 mm, limb channeled-involute in lower 2/3, lower median 22–28 × 6–7 mm, obscurely clawed in lower 1 mm. Filaments 12–15 mm long, exserted 6–7 mm from tube; anthers 8–10 mm long, dull purplish; pollen pale orange. Style arching over stamens, dividing opposite middle of anthers, branches ± 3 mm long. Capsules obovoid-ellipsoid, 20–25 mm long, acute or obtuse. Seeds ovate, 6–7 × ± 4 mm long, broadly and evenly winged, seed body often dark brown. Flowering time: mid August to late September, occasionally in October.
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